


This Is How It Works

by Violette_Pleasures



Series: I Love You More Than I Can Promise [3]
Category: Iron Man (Movies), Spider-Man: Homecoming (2017), The Avengers (Marvel Movies)
Genre: (but not sex), (more in mention) - Freeform, Angst, Boys Kissing, Dorks in Love, First Time, Fluff, Intimacy, Kissing, M/M, Mutual Masturbation, Panic Attacks, Sassy Peter, Sweet Tony Stark, he pout, he sulk, he's a bit of a brat, little bit of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-08-07
Packaged: 2019-06-23 02:29:53
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,271
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15596244
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Violette_Pleasures/pseuds/Violette_Pleasures
Summary: The teen huffed, rolling over onto his back and stretching his arms out, gazing despondently at the ceiling. “I just want something, Tony. Anything. I feel like I'm going out of my mind here.”“Don't you think I feel the same way?” Tony asked incredulously, eyebrows shot up his forehead.“Then why don't we both do something about it? I'm a consenting adult, you're a consenting adult...” Peter gestured with his hands to fill in the rest of his sentence. He brought his hands together and twirled the cheap nickle ring around his finger, a peek of green showing every time it shifted.Peter's eighteenth birthday has just rolled around and Tony is trying to convince him to wait until he graduates from high school before they break his nothing sexual rule.orThe one where Peter finds a loophole to the rules and Tony caves just a little.





	This Is How It Works

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second time I've tried posting this, so fingers crossed that ao3 doesn't eat it again
> 
> This fic has been such a long time in coming that I don't even know how to feel about it. Okay, honestly, I'm excited to share it with you :3c If you guys noticed, the rating for this series has gone up and will remain that way until the series completion. But I promise there will still be oodles of fluff and soft nerd boys in love! Anyways, I really hope y'all enjoy this and that it is at least a fraction of what you were expecting from this series!
> 
> Also, good news, the next part to this is already written! So hopefully it'll be up in the next week or so. It still needs some editing and such

_This is how it works, you peer inside yourself,_

_you take the things you like, learn to love the things you took_

_Then you take that love you made, and stick it into some_

_someone else's heart, pumpin' someone else's blood_

                                                      -Regina Spektor

 

 

“Look, I know what I said, but really, I think we should wait until you graduate. We've waited three years for this. What's two more weeks?”

 

They had both come to a mutual agreement when all this first started that they would keep their relationship the definition of chaste. No sharing beds overnight, no seeing each other naked, absolutely no hands or mouths or anything below the belt until Peter turned eighteen. But back then, Tony hadn't taken into account the fact that Peter's birthday fell within the school year, so even though it was technically fine, Tony really didn't want to take any unnecessary risks either.

 

“An eternity~” Peter groans, flopping dramatically onto a work bench, long limbs sprawling across the messy surface. “I'm not asking you to just fuck me--”

 

“Peter! Language!” Jesus Christ, Peter had only been here for half an hour and Tony already felt like he needed a drink. They'd never really fought before except for the once when Tony had taken his suit and then right after Peter defeated Vulture, but that last one wasn't a fight so much as Tony expelling all the fear that had risen up inside from deep within his bones over how close he came to losing Peter.

 

“Okay, Dad.” The teen huffed, rolling over onto his back and stretching his arms out, gazing dispondently at the ceiling. “I just want something, Tony. Anything. I feel like I'm going out of my mind here.”

 

“Don't you think I feel the same way?” Tony asked incredulously, eyebrows shot up his forehead.

 

“Then why don't we both _do something_ about it? I'm a consenting adult, you're a consenting adult...” Peter gestured with his hands to fill in the rest of his sentence. He brought his hands together and twirled the cheap nickle ring around his finger, a peek of green showing every time it shifted.

 

“Because how would it look if suddenly Tony Stark is seen with some young kid—man, sorry,” Tony quickly corrected himself at the glare Peter gave him. “Who, oh by the way, still happens to be in high school? And once they find out you've been acting as my apprentice these past few years, the rumors of me grooming you or some crap would abound!”

 

“Whatever.” Peter still refused to look at him, intelligent brown eyes hazed over as they trace nonexistent patterns on the ceiling.

 

“Whatever? Really? _Whatever_ —Christ, kid, this is so much more than just 'whatever.'” Tony could feel the beginnings of what could be a panic attack. He'd let himself get too worked up over the what ifs and maybes.

 

“Tony, wait—that's not what I meant.” Peter sat up, eyes alert and roving over the older man's body; he probably could hear the rampant uptick of Tony's pulse. “I just meant that those ideas, that they would ever say something like that about us, its stupid. I just love you so much that it all just sounds ridiculous.”

 

He slowly approached and carefully laid a hand on Tony's back, right between his shoulder blades and pulled Tony's hand to his chest, taking deep, slow, measured breaths. Peter looked up at him through his lashes and Tony couldn't help but think he looked like Bambi.

 

“You okay?” He asked softly.

 

“Yeah. Yeah I'm good.” Tony closed his eyes and took a deep breath, scrubbing his hands over his face, his own nickle ring catching on his bottom lip. He paused to look at it, feeling fondness settle in his chest. “Look, I'm sorry about that. I shouldn't have gotten so upset.”

 

“N-no, it's alright, Mr. Stark.” Peter looked down, rolling the toe of the new Louboutin sneakers Tony had just bought him as a birthday gift back and forth. “I just...I forget sometimes who you are? I forget how much of a liability I still am.”

 

“Hey, hey no. Peter, look at me.” Tony gently lifted Peter's chin to create eye contact with him. “You're not a liability. Do you hear me? Don't ever think that because I sure don't.” He pulled the boy in for a tight hug, resting his chin on his head. He let out a deep sigh before he continued. “I just don't want that to be your introduction to the world. I wouldn't stand for seeing your name drug through the mud because of me.”

 

“Why does this have to be so hard? Why can't they just see how much we love each other and leave it at that?” Peter nosed into Tony's chest and he really hated the way he sounded so defeated.

 

Tony lifted Peter's hand to his lips, pressing a metal-tang kiss to his ring. _Promises, promises._ “I'm sorry, Peter.”

 

Silence overtook the room, clinging to every wall and hiding in all the corners, as they stood there embracing each other, wishing things could be just a little less complicated.

 

///

 

“Tony! Tony!” Peter bounced into the lab two days later in his Spidey suit, a dark blue hoodie thrown on over the top, backpack slipping off his shoulder. His hair was a mess and his cheeks were flushed when he whipped his mask off. God, he looked so _young_. “I think I figured out something we can do! Together!”

 

“Well, hello to you too, Peter. Good afternoon. How are you doing?” Tony arched a brow in feigned annoyance.

 

“Shut it, wiseguy.” Peter barely contained the smirk that was taking over his features. He looked about to burst with happiness. “Do you wanna hear my idea or not?”

 

“Alright, lay it on me.” Reclining back in his swivel chair, Tony crossed his arms and waited for Peter to deliver his business proposal.

 

“Masturbation.”

 

Tony nearly spit out the coffee he'd been taking a sip of. He coughed roughly and managed to set the cup down before he spilled it all over himself. “Excuse me, what?”

 

“Masturbation!” Peter said with more enthusiasm like that made it any easier to process.

 

“Yeah, I thought that's what you said.” Tony sighed and rubbed at his furrowed brows. “What about masturbation?”

 

“Its something we can do together!” The teen was practically vibrating.

 

“Together?”

 

“Yes!”

 

“Care to elaborate?”

 

“Huh? Oh, uh, masturbation is when you—“

 

“Whoa, there, no, not...not what I meant. I know what it is.” Tony was blushing now too, this whole conversation felt like a train wreck. “I meant what's that got to do with us.”

 

“Oh! Well, I was doing all this research,” He smiled coyly and climbed into Tony's lap, balancing himself perfectly in the narrow space left for him as Tony's hands came to rest on his hips. “ Looking up different ways to be intimate without touching your partner and I found out about something called mutual masturbation.” Peter's blush grew darker. “So...I was thinking...you and I could lay in bed together, side by side...and maybe, well...together.”

 

“God, kid,” Tony's hands tightened on Peter's hips. He had to give it to the kid, that would be the perfect loophole to his no touching below the belt policy. He could feel himself already growing hard at the prospect of being anywhere near Peter when he was pleasuring himself. “Are you trying to kill me?”

 

“No, not exactly.” Leaning in, Peter sensually drug his lips across Tony's in a barely there hint of a kiss. He carefully lowered himself onto the older man's lap, letting his weight come to rest down on his hips, where immediately, Tony could feel how hard Peter was through his suit. “I kinda like you and junk and want you to stick around for as long as possible.”

 

“I kinda like you and junk too.” Tony smirked, stretching up to give Peter a kiss.

 

“So...”

 

“So?”

 

“Can we? Please please please?” Peter gave him The Eyes and The Lip and Tony groaned and had to look away. “I promise I'll be good! I'll be so good for you!”

 

That little phrase had Tony's ears perking up and all the blood in his body rushing south. Did the kid even realize what he'd just said? Or what kind of effect it was having on Tony? With another groan, Tony hung his head in defeat. “Alright. Alright....lets do it.”

 

“Thank you, Mr. Stark!” Peter lunged in the small space they shared, wrapping too long limbs around Tony's shoulders.

 

Tony straightened a few things up and shut off some of his machines before leading them back to his bedroom. He was so damn nervous, he'd almost think it was his first time doing anything like this, but that couldn't be further from the truth. All it took was one look at the twinkle of joy in Peter's eyes and the way his hand squeezed Tony's back so tightly, and he was sinking.

 

Once they set foot inside, some of Peter's bravado slipped and Tony could tell he was nervous now that he was faced with the reality of the situation. He stood awkwardly at the foot of the bed, biting his lip and staring at the pillows and blankets like they could lend some sort of help to him.

 

“We don't have to do anything, you know.” Tony murmured as he stepped up behind Peter and wrapped his arms around his tiny waist, holding him close but not so tight that he might feel trapped. He pressed a kiss to Peter's curls, lingering but chaste.

 

“N-no! I want to! I just...I don't know what to do now.” The smile and blush Peter cast over his shoulder at Tony could turn a saint into a sinner. He was just so damn pretty and so pink and still so new. New to everything. It was obvious he was wanting Tony to take the lead, so he tried to be accommodating.

 

“Well, we could start with what you do know...” Slowly, Tony turned Peter to face him, threading his fingers into the auburn waves he loved so dearly, and brought him in for a kiss.

 

Their mouths moved sedately together, their usual unhurried adoration of each other's touch was comforting like the lull of the waves on a beach, an easy back and forth. Peter gasped quietly when Tony pushed passed his lips to taste him, lapping gingerly at his tongue until he responded and met him with his own soft touches.

 

As he felt the tension fall away and Peter began to melt into his touch, Tony eased them back towards the bed, his legs bracketing Peter's in an awkward waddle that made the teen giggle quietly between kisses. Peter's little laughs were further reassurance that he was feeling relaxed and still okay with this and it was just what Tony needed to finally press forward and lay Peter back onto his bed.

 

Peter's lashes fluttered and he let out another breathless sound as his back hit the comforter. His arms rested up by his head, laying himself out on full display for Tony to appreciate like the piece of fine art he was. His slender chest rose and fell with bird-winged breaths, but he showed no sign of trepidation, only want shining in his bright, expressive eyes.

 

“Still good?” He still has to ask. If Peter regretted any of this, he doesn't know if he'd be able to live with himself.

 

“So good,” Peter smirked with half lidded eyes. He lifted one foot up to hook behind Tony's thigh, attempting to pull him in.

 

Tony chuckled and just before he moved over Peter, he took a deep breath and pulled his shirt off over his head. He didn't allow himself to look at Peter's face as he alighted himself between the boy's thighs, too afraid of the pity or judgment over his multiple scars, especially the huge one at the center of his chest, he might find.

 

Small hands wound up the nape of his neck, pulling Tony down on top of a lithe, young and eager body and into a heated kiss, rougher and more passionate than the previous.

 

“God, you're so hot, Tony.” Peter breathed onto his tongue, voice warm and wet. One hand traveled down Tony's chest, gentle caresses of fingertips over the ridges and dips of new and old scar tissue, a small smile playing at his lips when Tony's muscles trembled and twitched beneath his touch.

 

“Mm, kinda cool actually...thinking about turning the heat up.” Tony jokes, earning him another one of those effervescent laughs that he swallows up with another long kiss. He doesn't know how, but Tony actually managed to blush at the sincerity of Peter's compliment. He's always so caught up in hating how he looks to himself in the mirror, that he never stopped to contemplate that Peter might actually like his body like this, scars and all.

 

He made sure to catch Peter's eyes getting a jerky nod before he pressed the button that released Peter's suit. With trembling hands, he sat on his heels and pulled back the red and blue suit, revealing beautiful, creamy skin inch by inch. Almost reverently, Tony ran a hand down the center of Peter's stomach, not missing the way he trembled at such a light touch nor the way his too pretty lips wrapped around a near silent moan.

 

“The things I want to do to you, kid...” Tony spoke in low tones, thoughts tumbling from mind to mouth without a filter. “...you're so beautiful, Peter. So beautiful and all mine.”

 

“Tony...” Peter whimpered, reaching out for him to come back. Tony had never really spoken so possessively about him and it made his pulse dance.

 

Tony's eye caught on the flash of dull silver secure around Peter's left ring finger and entwined their fingers as their bare chests gradually came to touch. Peter let out a shuddery breath, hot air puffing against Tony's neck and driving him wild. The boy's back arched slightly off the bed, smooth skin rubbing against Tony's chest.

 

“I want you...please...” The boy's voice was so tremulous, balancing dangerously between a sob and a quiet plea. “I-I can't...I'm not gonna last like this.”

 

“Right, right...dialed up to eleven...” Tony pulled back to think of a solution to the overstimulation so this can last for even just five minutes more, so Peter can last just five minutes more. Quickly, he reached out blindly and tugged the silk sheets free from the grasp-tuck of the mattress and pulled them over both of their bodies, covering and cocooning them from head to toe in softly illuminated charcoal grey.

 

“Better?” It's dark and warm beneath the sheets, an artificial night to wind themselves up and get lost in. Peter reached up and touched his cheek and without thinking, Tony turned his head and kissed his palm.

 

“Yes. Perfect.” He can make out the barest hint of his outline, highlighted only where the light can penetrate the fabricated dusk.

 

With a few hushed laughs and some elbows and noses bumping, Tony maneuvers them onto their sides, facing each other. When their eyes meet again, they're both smiling and hazed over with some heady combination of affection and need.

 

Peter's shoulders climbed up near his ears and he ducked his head, glancing up nervously through tangled, curled lashes and dipped his hand into his boxers. He scrunched his eyes closed, a breath punched right out of him, at that first touch. With a few adjustments and starts and stops, he found a rhythm he liked and slowly relaxed down into the mattress.

 

And Tony...

 

Tony can't fucking breathe for how damn perfect Peter looks. He's mesmerized watching Peter tentatively pleasure himself, whimpering and moaning under his breath and he can't seem to find it in himself to move for the tick of a few minutes.

 

“Tony.” Peter panted, crushing their lips together in a heated kiss.

 

The voracious desperation of the kiss had Tony finally moving, fingers fumbling with the button and zipper on his worn out jeans. He can't believe he hadn't noticed how hard he was before that moment, achingly _leaking_ through the fabric just to the right of the zipper pull. Maybe being near Peter has him dialed up to eleven too.

 

He wrapped his fingers around himself and let out a groan at the gratifying sensation of being one step closer to satiation. Peter visibly trembled at the animalistic sound and Tony didn't hold himself back, letting each moan fall from him as it worked it's way into his mouth.

 

The air between them is steam-hot, sharing breaths in such a confined space, both have sweat glimmering and running down their foreheads, chests, backs. Their hands moved in near tandem, Peter's pace a little faster than Tony's, but their lips are touching in not quite kisses, exhaling each other's names and inhaling 'I love you's. Their knuckles accidentally bumped where their hands are working so _hard_ and it was over for Peter.

 

“Mr. Stark...Tony—! Fuck...” The full line of his body tensed and quaked and then fell completely apart as white streaked over his hand and across the hip of Tony's jeans. He wrings every last drop from his orgasm before falling limp, still panting, and smiles up at Tony so soft it's too much for him.

 

“Goddammit, Peter...” Tony leaned in to close the small gap between them, kissing those wonderfully kiss-plump lips as his own release rises and crashes over him. The quiet little sound of surprise from Peter has him tearing away to look down between them. His spend is running down from the boy's ridiculously cut abs.

 

Without thinking, he shimmied further down and licked the salt and sweet from Peter's stomach. Peter arched into the touch, giggling.

 

“Tickles...” Peter's voice sounded far away in a dreamy way like he was right on the verge of falling asleep.

 

“Okay then?” Tony asked hushed and spoken into the skin of Peter's sternum as he moved back up to eye level with him.

 

“More than okay.” Peter cuddled into him, pressing his forehead to his collarbone and kissing him there. He let out another nervous laugh.“I still can't believe it just happened, honestly.”

 

“It most certainly did...” Tony paused, tugging Peter closer and wrapping his arms around his small frame. “...and I'm really glad it did.”

 

“Me too.” Peter whispered shyly into the crook of his neck.

 

Eventually, and with great reluctance, Tony lifted the sheets off of them and guided Peter to his en suite bathroom, their barefeet sticking slightly to the cool, white marble. Though the sunken tub that dominated the room was very tempting, they had to get back to work eventually and he knew that tub would lead to at least an hour long soak for Peter. But the idea did make him smile.

 

Peter rested back against the pink and white swirled marble vanity, watching him as he gathered towels and turned the shower on for him. He fiddled with the gold fixtures on the sink trying to figure out how to turn the water on and jumped when he realized it was automatic earning a laugh from Tony. The teen blushed brilliantly and decidedly kept his hands to himself.

 

As steam billowed out over the top of the glass shower walls, Tony turned and was surprised to see Peter standing right there. Damn spider abilities meant he could creep quietly wherever he wanted, and oh, he usually picked interesting places to sneak up on Tony. Peter simply gazed at him with soft, warm brown eyes for a while before he leaned in slowly and kissed the graft scar at the center of his chest , looking up through his lashes and hung on tight to the hem of Tony's low slung jeans.

 

“Stay.” He uttered quietly, lips brushing against skin that didn't have nearly enough nerve receptors to fully enjoy that feather of sensation.

 

Tony swallowed hard. In comparison to what they had just done, a shower should be considered pretty sedate, but they've also never been naked around each other before and Tony is conflicted beyond measure.

 

Peter carefully released Tony's jeans and slid his hands up to interlace his fingers at his low back. “You...you don't have to...if it's too much all at once, I understand.”

 

“Shouldn't that be my line?” Tony chuckled under his breath and shifted his weight from foot to foot.

 

Peter pouted up at him, absolutely and completely _pouted_ up at him and Tony knew he'd be giving Peter whatever he wanted for the rest of their lives because there was no chance in hell he was ever going to be immune to that look. Tony sighed and shook his head good naturedly.

 

“Alright, but just a shower, okay? Baby steps.” Tony conceded, dropping his jeans and stepping around Peter and into the hot blast of water, sighing happily at the feel of it relaxing his tightly wound muscles.

 

“Baby steps.” Peter agreed, licking his lips, trying, and failing miserably, not to stare at every inch of his boyfriend he was finally being allowed to see.

 

He could feel Peter's eyes on him, taking everything in, and, admittedly, it was hard not to peacock a bit under such attention. So, he made sure to wash carefully, under the guise of being thorough, moving so as to show off what he knew was an impressive figure for someone nearing fifty; so call him vain for knowing he was attractive.

 

“Peter, my eyes are up here.” Tony teased and passed him the body wash.

 

“Ha ha.” Peter laughed sarcastically and rolled his eyes, trying to angle himself so Tony couldn't see the arousal reawakening between his thighs, cheeks stained pink. He hurriedly washed up, trying to obey Tony's wishes that this would be just a shower.

 

A few moments later found them both redressed, fresh and clean, and visibly relaxed as they stood hip to hip in the workshop. Tony had pulled out a new mock up design for Peter's web shooters, something thinner and sleeker but Peter wasn't sure the design would hold enough web fluid and had briefly taken it all apart.

 

Tony watched him work with complete focus on the task at hand, saw how his eyebrows furrowed the more engrossed he became and found it all horribly, sickeningly endearing. He knew that after that brief afternoon spent tangled in the sheets and in each other would change them, that undeniable comfortable confidence that only came with shared physical intimacy was already forming between them, but then, in moments like this, it felt as it nothing would change and for that, Tony was grateful.

He'd been so worried that once things became physical, that would be the end of this, this normalcy of their routine that they've built around one another. So when Peter, like clockwork, mumbled something about pizza right around six thirty, _their_ dinnertime, without even glancing at the clock, it's almost a startling relief

 

Peter felt Tony's eyes on him and looked up coyly, a small smirk playing at his lips. “Do you want to order in like usual or maybe go out?” His hands kept moving and tinkering even as he spoke; Tony was always a little jealous of how he could do that, focus on two separate things simultaneously without skipping a beat.

 

“Hmm,” Tony tapped at his chin with a look of mock contemplation. “I think we should go out to celebrate. What do you think?”

 

“Celebrate? Our first together handjobs?” Peter huffed an incredulous laugh through his nose.

 

“Together hand jobs...I like that.” He smirked all self-satisfaction.

 

“Ugh, you're kinda embarrassing sometimes.” Peter grumbled back without lifting his gaze from the task at hand, face turning red from neck to hairline.

 

“Peter, you wound me. I am the height of hilarity.” He stuck his nose in the air snobbishly, so Tony Stark of him it hurt. “Plus, I'm old, so being embarrassing sometimes and bad dad jokes just come with the territory.”

 

“You're not old, Tony.” The teen pushed up off his stool and pressed into Tony's space, running a tentative hand up the center of his chest.

 

“Older than you.”

 

“Well duh. That's why I like you.”

 

“Is that the only reason?” That earned him another eye roll. Maybe he was—no, he definitely was—a dirty old man, because something about Peter making all those teenagery sounds and that young petulance got to him in the best of ways, loved every bit of it.

 

“No,” Peter's hands slid up to card through the shorter hairs at the nape of Tony's neck, goosebumps cascading over him. “There's other things I like about you...” He went up on tip toes as if he were going to kiss the older man but stopped just short. “...but the age thing is a reeeeally big turn on, _Mr. Stark_.”

 

“My name shouldn't sound as hot as it does when you say it.” Tony closed the gap, licking into Peter's mouth and kissing him deep until he started to moan into it and Tony reluctantly had to break the kiss.

 

“I love you, Mr. Stark.” His lips were so slick and pink and Tony had half a mind to take them right back to the bedroom.

 

“I love you too, _Mrs. Stark._ ” And just like every time before, it doesn't fail to leave a blush high on Peter's cheekbones.

 

**Author's Note:**

> I'm not saying comments and kudos make me write faster, but comments and kudos make me write faster *finger guns*


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